88 
Gardeners and Florists’ Annual for i9i5 
Adjusting Selling Prices 
By Samuel Batson 
I T is impossible to fix costs to fit every man’s case as this is where 
business capability and foresight wins out over haphazard methods, 
even when connected with hard work and long hours. Notwithstand- 
ing this there are general estimates which have been made, compiled and 
published from time to time (as in the case of Carnations a few years 
ago by The Flokists’ Exchange) and these will form a fairly good 
guide for those unable to check up for themselves. 
Some 10 or 12 years ago a company fonning here to operate a large 
growing establishment wrote a number of letters to various prominent 
growers, of Carnations especially, asking information on costs and re- 
turns and I was enabled to read many of the replies whieh came from 
all sections of the country. 
Tliese, like those in answer to the inquiry of The Exchange showed 
an approximate expense that was kept very close to by all, and the 
variation of returns mostly accounted for by the character of the busi- 
ness done. These averages of costs showed that at that period about 
30c. per sq. ft. of bench was about the rule for stock like Carnations, 
etc., requiring the Carnation house temjierature and something like 45c. 
to 60c. per sq. ft. gross returns. The first items were not understood 
to carry such costs as advertising, shipping, etc.; merely the general 
overhead and labor and fuel costs. 
Being at that time interested as a grower of Carnations, 1 followed 
these estimates closely and fo>md by my own figures that my costs were 
much about the same, although not successfully reaching the top figures 
in receipts. 
A good market in those days was more interesting to most growers 
than figuring costs, as labor was easy to get and keep, while supplies of 
all kinds were reasonable; and indeed these conditions were fairly well 
maintained till within the last three years; and what increased costs 
arose were largely discounted by the extra good days like St. Valentines’, 
Mother’s Day, etc., so that we got along fairly well, although at no 
time during my experience has there been anything very large in the 
way of profits in the growing end of the business. There may have been 
some who made fortunes, but most got comfortably placed through the 
rise of real estate values rather than out of profits from growing. 
However, two years ago, things took a turn upward so fast and so 
generally that most of ms had to sit up and take notice, though many 
thought this increase only temporary, and as business was generally 
good, little notice was evinced and not much effort made to establish 
higher prices. The present year has seen a change. A return to old- 
time conditions are now regarded as impossible, so that the far-sighted 
grower and retailer see that it is necessary to adjust the price list to 
the expense account but are not achieving much succe.ss on account of 
lack of co-operation among members of the trade. 
In following my investigations regarding expenses I have been ac- 
corded the assistance of one of the largest and best equipped concerns 
in the Middle West, which also keeps a very close account of out-go and 
income, and this firm’s actual experience is that labor costs have in- 
creased 40 per cent, and fuel 75 per cent, the last year or so. To their 
